Chip Hale is New Arizona Diamondbacks Manager
By Adam Hughes
Sep 22, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Oakland Athletics bench coach Chip Hale (14) puts up the daily line up in the Oakland Athletics dugout before a game against the Minnesota Twins at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Bob Stanton-USA TODAY Sports
You’re a Cincinnati Reds fan, so you remember the 1987 Major League Baseball draft, right? That’s the one where the Reds drafted pitcher Jack Armstrong in the first round and outfielder Reggie Sanders in the seventh round, helping set the stage for their last World Series team, in 1990, and giving them a star for the aftermath (Sanders). As it turns out, that 1987 draft also produced future Minnesota Twins infielder Chip Hale, who was hired this morning by the Arizona Diamondbacks to be their new manager.
Hale has no experience as a Major League manager but has served as a third base coach and bench coach over the last four years, with the New York Mets and Oakland A’s, respectively. He also managed at Triple-A in the Arizona organization for three years.
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Hale is the first hire for new Diamondbacks general manager Dave Stewart, who was hired in September by Tony La Russa.
The rookie manager will have his work cut out for him in 2015, as the D’Backs finished with the worst record in the Majors in 2014, at 64-98.
Hale should be alright, though, considering he was mired in the 17th round of that long-ago draft, yet has managed to thrive in the game for 27+ years. Better than you can say for some first- and seventh-round picks!